A picture is normally hung from a wall by attaching a hook to the wall, which engages a wire bail provided on the back of the picture (herein the term "picture" includes a mirror, a painting and all other object that is adapted to be hung from a wall or from a similar supporting structure in a way a picture is normally hung such as by a wire bail, a hook or the like).
This method of attachment has not been entirely satisfactory mainly because the bottom edge of the picture, which normally contacts the wall, can scratch or stain the wall paint especially if the picture remains hung at the same place for long time periods. Thus, when it is desired to relocate or remove the picture, the wall must be repainted to mask the scratched and stained areas.
Various devices have been proposed in the past to overcome this drawback. However, none of these so called improvements have found wide acceptance among the public because they are complex to use and to manufacture.
Therefore, an object of the invention is an improved picture attaching device.
The object of the invention is achieved by providing an attaching device comprising a pair of magnetically attracting and cooperating members, one of the members being adapted to be mounted on the back of a picture and the other member being adapted to be mounted to a wall on which the picture is to be installed.
One of the retaining members is provided with a projection adapted to be received into a seat provided on the other member when the retaining members are in engagement. The projection prevents an undesirable sliding movement between the retaining members under the influence of gravity, which otherwise may occur when a heavy picture is to be mounted on the wall.
In a preferred embodiment, the projection and the seat for receiving the projection have circular configurations to enable the retaining members to rotate one respective to the other while being in engagement. This feature permits easy changing of the orientation of the picture on the wall without separating the retaining members, which is desirable for abstract art paintings that may be installed in various positions since they depict no recognizable things.
Therefore, the present invention comprises in a general aspect, a device for mounting a picture on a supporting structure, the device comprising first and second magnetically attracting members, the first member being adapted to be mounted to the supporting structure and the second member being adapted to be mounted to the picture, one of the members having a projection and the other of the members having a seat adapted to receive the projection when the members are in engagement for preventing the members from sliding relative to each other.